Maracas Beach . You know how mountainous the road to that beach is. My car almost went over the cliffs. I managed to wrench the steering wheel and ended up in a ditch. It took a couple more accidents like that before I realized Tony would stop at nothing to have me dead. So, I confronted him.”
Her complexion, already pale, took on a slate cast.
Jesus, Tony, a psychopathic thug, his gut told him her suspicions were justified.
“Sure you won’t take that wine now?”
She shook her head, stared at the fireplace, and a log burst into a lone single flame. The sight made his belly hollow. Was she controlling the fire subconsciously?
Tee snagged her lower lip with her eyetooth, and it reddened under the pressure she exerted. “I didn’t want anyone else to hear us, so I asked him to go for a walk. I told him I would take him to the Vikings and leave him there permanently if anything further happened.” Her mouth twisted into a dry smile. “That afternoon, I drove down to his office and told him I was starting divorce proceedings. He threatened to harm my parents, Dee, anyone I cared about. Do you know what frightened me the most?”
She met his gaze, and a sneer tugged at her lips.
“He never admitted trying to kill me, not once. He turned me into a blithering coward, afraid of a damned shadow. I was so paranoid, I watched everything my parents ate, supervised all the cooking. Made my mother change cars with me randomly. I knew I could save myself, but what if I wasn’t around when he did something to them?”
“He had you where he wanted you. You couldn’t go to the police, because you had no evidence. There was nothing you could do.” Trying to lighten the moment, he picked up a handful of rose petals and threw them in the air. “Is this why you always smell of roses?”
Tee shrugged, rose to her feet, and turned around. She glanced over her shoulder at him.
The sad little smile and her slumped shoulders tempted him to offer sympathy. He shook his head. He should be the one needing reassurance, not her.
“What happens now?”
The strained silence lengthened. The only sounds in the cottage were the popping from the fire, which seemed to ebb and rage in tempo with Tee’s emotions.
Jake grabbed the blue material on his lap, stood up, and tied it around his waist. He moved to stand beside her and tugged on his earlobe, indecision wracking his brain.
She wet her lips. His gaze followed her delicious pink tongue flicking at the corner of her mouth, and his prick vaulted to attention.
Decision made.
However, he could take no more of this today. It was time to take control of the situation.
“I have a proposition. We need to spend some normal time together, just a woman and a man talking. No Vikings, no gladiators. How about a simple day at the beach tomorrow?”
“I promised Dee I’d do an exhibition ride for a meet tomorrow.” Her eyes shifted to the grandfather clock to the left of the bedroom doorway. “It’s at nine and will last the whole morning. We could go to the beach afterwards if you like?”
He dragged her against him and locked his arms around her waist. “I like. Can I come and watch you ride?”
“You want to see me ride?”
He melted at the pure joy shining in her honey eyes and fingered the dimple in one cheek. “It turns me on. How about those three weeks in London ?”
“I’ve thrown a lot at you tonight, and I need some time to think. If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to sleep in separate beds tonight. Why don’t we talk about it in the morning?”
A logical suggestion, one he should welcome. Instead, Jake tried to talk her out of it, to seduce her into the shower, but she glowered at him and threatened to conjure herself to Dee ’s home. He surrendered, but pouted and cursed his damned luck.
Since they hadn’t eaten and the dinner in the oven proved inedible, she conjured a pizza, and they shared it. He bit into the last slice, and something that had been nagging
Her complexion, already pale, took on a slate cast.
Jesus, Tony, a psychopathic thug, his gut told him her suspicions were justified.
“Sure you won’t take that wine now?”
She shook her head, stared at the fireplace, and a log burst into a lone single flame. The sight made his belly hollow. Was she controlling the fire subconsciously?
Tee snagged her lower lip with her eyetooth, and it reddened under the pressure she exerted. “I didn’t want anyone else to hear us, so I asked him to go for a walk. I told him I would take him to the Vikings and leave him there permanently if anything further happened.” Her mouth twisted into a dry smile. “That afternoon, I drove down to his office and told him I was starting divorce proceedings. He threatened to harm my parents, Dee, anyone I cared about. Do you know what frightened me the most?”
She met his gaze, and a sneer tugged at her lips.
“He never admitted trying to kill me, not once. He turned me into a blithering coward, afraid of a damned shadow. I was so paranoid, I watched everything my parents ate, supervised all the cooking. Made my mother change cars with me randomly. I knew I could save myself, but what if I wasn’t around when he did something to them?”
“He had you where he wanted you. You couldn’t go to the police, because you had no evidence. There was nothing you could do.” Trying to lighten the moment, he picked up a handful of rose petals and threw them in the air. “Is this why you always smell of roses?”
Tee shrugged, rose to her feet, and turned around. She glanced over her shoulder at him.
The sad little smile and her slumped shoulders tempted him to offer sympathy. He shook his head. He should be the one needing reassurance, not her.
“What happens now?”
The strained silence lengthened. The only sounds in the cottage were the popping from the fire, which seemed to ebb and rage in tempo with Tee’s emotions.
Jake grabbed the blue material on his lap, stood up, and tied it around his waist. He moved to stand beside her and tugged on his earlobe, indecision wracking his brain.
She wet her lips. His gaze followed her delicious pink tongue flicking at the corner of her mouth, and his prick vaulted to attention.
Decision made.
However, he could take no more of this today. It was time to take control of the situation.
“I have a proposition. We need to spend some normal time together, just a woman and a man talking. No Vikings, no gladiators. How about a simple day at the beach tomorrow?”
“I promised Dee I’d do an exhibition ride for a meet tomorrow.” Her eyes shifted to the grandfather clock to the left of the bedroom doorway. “It’s at nine and will last the whole morning. We could go to the beach afterwards if you like?”
He dragged her against him and locked his arms around her waist. “I like. Can I come and watch you ride?”
“You want to see me ride?”
He melted at the pure joy shining in her honey eyes and fingered the dimple in one cheek. “It turns me on. How about those three weeks in London ?”
“I’ve thrown a lot at you tonight, and I need some time to think. If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to sleep in separate beds tonight. Why don’t we talk about it in the morning?”
A logical suggestion, one he should welcome. Instead, Jake tried to talk her out of it, to seduce her into the shower, but she glowered at him and threatened to conjure herself to Dee ’s home. He surrendered, but pouted and cursed his damned luck.
Since they hadn’t eaten and the dinner in the oven proved inedible, she conjured a pizza, and they shared it. He bit into the last slice, and something that had been nagging
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